1st Lake Properties is proud to announce the winners of last quarter’s Beautification Award. Each quarter, several properties that meet a set of distinguished criteria are recognized as part of the 1st Lake Properties Beautification Award program.
1st Lake awards first, second and third place in different categories to a selection of their New Orleans area apartment communities. Last quarter’s first place winners were the Brewster Commons apartments in Covington; Park Oaks, Windmill Creek South and Crossings apartments in Metairie; and Cypress Creek and Palmetto Creek apartments in River Ridge. These properties are honored to receive this highly esteemed and sought after distinction.
Each quarter, secret shoppers are sent to inspect and score each 1st Lake property, looking for excellence in areas like cleanliness of the grounds and common areas including pool and mail areas; landscaping; signage; and maintenance of stairwells, balconies and parking areas.
Each 1st Lake property who won the first place Beautification Award last quarter was very deserving. Brewster Commons is a relatively new addition to the 1st Lake family, and boasts beautifully manicured outdoor grounds features and extremely well kept common areas. The Crossings apartments in Metairie are surrounding by lush greenery that’s regularly tended to with care. The Windmill Creek South apartments in Metairie are adorned with elaborately designed landscaping including bridges arching over creeks and walking paths. Cypress Creek, Palmetto Creek and Park Oaks are also equipped with lovely pools and greenery.
The team at 1st Lake Properties would like to extend their congratulations to each of the Beautification Award winners and good luck to next quarter’s contenders!
Just because there is less space in some apartments compared to a house doesn’t mean that you can’t store as much stuff, you just have to be more creative and smarter about how you store it. There are plenty of clever storage solutions for less square footage. So if you have a studio or one bedroom apartment, you don’t have to worry!
Hideaway storage – Hideaway storage is a sneaky and brilliant way of storing household items. You can find stylish ottomans that function both as furniture and storage with tops that come off so you can keep storage inside.
Hang it up – When there’s no storage space left to be found, utilize the perfectly good available wall space by hanging up items using non damaging wall hangers. Keeping a monochromatic theme with the color of the storage material will make the storage unit blend in and be more visually appealing. For example, if you have white walls, use a white wall hanger for a cleaner, sleeker look. Wall hanging storage can be used in practically any room, from the closet for shoes to the kitchen for utensils.
Use furniture – If your bathroom has limited storage space, try adding a piece of furniture like an end table, chest of drawers or desk to keep towels and personal items like makeup and toiletries. In addition, don’t underestimate the usefulness of mantels or other interior features that can be used for shelving.
Room dividers – This is especially useful for studio dwellers who would like to divide their open space to create separation between different living sections. A large shelving unit can serve both as ample storage space and a division between where you sleep and where you entertain.
Check out the available New Orleans area apartments from 1st Lake Properties to find the perfect space with plenty of storage to fit your needs!
Metairie is a busy town right outside of New Orleans with its own distinct business and entertainment districts. It’s the largest suburb of New Orleans and the most populated community in Jefferson Parish, with approximately 450,000 residents.
Metairie is home to several charming neighborhoods like Old Metairie, Buck Town and Fat City. Each is a unique community of shopping centers, restaurants and professional buildings.
For a complete list of Metairie’s best restaurants, check out our Metairie Dining Guide.
Come on our tour of Metairie, Louisiana and find out why it’s the place for you:
Old Metairie was the first ever suburb of New Orleans. This community surrounds Metairie Road and is a collection of small shops, coffee houses and beautiful residences.
Buck Town was born over a hundred years ago as a collection of hunting and fishing camps. To this day, Buck Town is still known for its deliciously fresh seafood.
For a long time, Fat City was known as the late night club scene of Metairie, akin to Bourbon Street. Nowaways, Fat City is on the rise and turning into a dining hub.
Aside from its lovely quaint neighborhoods, Metairie is home to some impressive entertainment facilities:
Metairie is home to a wide variety of fun activities in a safe environment. 1st lake has several conveniently located apartment communities in the heart of it all.
1st Lake’s Flowergate Apartments offer multiple floor plans with one, two and three bedroom apartment options. Your apartment will come complete with a washer and dryer, walk-in closets, large pantries and generous counter space. This space is for the outdoor lovers of Metairie. At Flowergate you can enjoy tree sparkling pools, tree shaded paths and multiple gardens.
Surf Rider II is one of 1st lake’s most beautiful properties. This community is decked out with the all steel and black appliances such as a frost free refrigerators, multi-cycle dishwashers, microwaves and self-cleaning ovens. Enjoy high ceilings, open floor plans and large bedrooms. This small community highly protected with intrusion alarms. Come find your new apartment today.
Newly updated and renovated, 1st lake’s Windmill Creek South apartment community is sure to please. Choose from four different floor plans. each with spacious walk-in closets and sun rooms. This apartment community is full of beautiful creeks, fountains and winding pathways. Windmill Creek South is conveniently located near all of the best dining and entertainment Metairie has to offer.
We asked one of our residents, P.K. about why she loves living in Metairie, and here’s what she had to say:
“Living in Metairie has been better than I even thought. We moved here for an affordable living (in comparison to New Orleans). We get so much more here for our money when it comes to square footage and apartment amenities. At our Metairie apartment we have plenty of room for our kids to play outside.
Although our home was the thing that brought us here, all the nearby businesses are the things that have made us want to stay. Metairie neighborhood playgrounds are plentiful, nearby, and safe, and offer a wide array of organized sports. Convenient stores are always right around the corner – I don’t have to go far to get great savings at stores that if I lived elsewhere, I would have to drive out of my way to visit.
Getting to Lakeside Mall, my favorite place to shop, now only takes 5 minutes from our Metairie apartment instead of 30 minutes. The choice of schools out here is fantastic as well. Our kids go to school right down the street, and when they get older, will be able to ride their bikes or walk to school by themselves. For us, Metairie is all about convenience, safety, and saving money.”
Apply for a lease today, your apartment is waiting for you.
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Related posts: Northshore Neighborhood Guide, Baton Rouge Neighborhood Guide.
Summer weather can reach pretty high temperatures, and the New Orleans area is known for its sultry summers. Energy bills can escalate during the hot summer months, but there are environmentally conscious, energy efficient cooling methods you can use to avoid running the air conditioning and expensive energy bills.
Fans – Fans are the most obvious and attainable air conditioning alternatives. If your apartment is equipped with ceiling fans, turn off the air conditioning and turn on the fans. For an extra electro-powered breeze, use an oscillating or box fan. You’d be surprised how fast and easy it is to keep cool just by utilizing different types of fans.
Blinds – Adjusting the blinds in your apartment is another simple example of using the available resources at home. Closing all the window blinds inside the apartment will keep it cooler, and if you do this in conjunction with turning on fans, you’ll forget you even have air conditioning.
Evaporative Cooler – Evaporative coolers, also known as swamp coolers, are a great eco-friendly and energy efficient alternatives to air conditioning. A portable evaporative cooler uses 75% less electricity than air conditioning and is powered by a standard 120 volt outlet. Evaporative Coolers push warm or polluted air out and create a cool breeze by combining evaporated water and air flow. Evaporative Coolers can be found at stores like Home Depot, Best Buy and Walmart.
North Facing Side – This is the most basic of all the methods, but usually the north facing side of your home is the coolest in the summer and the south-facing side is the best for keeping warm in the winter. You might want to consider rearranging the layout of your apartment for the summer to reserve the north-facing side for where you spend the most time.
Check out the available New Orleans apartments and summer apartment deals from 1st Lake Properties to find your own apartment to keep cool in.
The first thing you or anyone who enters your apartment sees is the entryway, or landing strip. It’s important to design it in a way that is organized, attractive, and acts as a drop off point. It should be inviting and a designated spot to leave keys and other last minute personal items. Use this checklist to create a complete home landing strip for your apartment.
Door Mat – This is pretty basic, but a door mat is important for wiping off your shoes if they are wet or dirty. Find a rubber door mat that you like to put in front of your door at your 1st Lake apartment.
Coat Hooks – This is where you can leave any outerwear, umbrellas or dog leashes so that they don’t make it any further into your home, causing additional clutter. Let this be the place where you store these kinds of items so you always know where they are. Find out how to install hooks without damaging the walls in your apartment. [link to blog post]
Side Table – A side table is another important storage tool that serves both form and function. This is where you can place your wallet, purse, keys, mail and other personal items. Just like the coat rack for clothing and accessories, you’ll never have to wonder where your keys are if you always keep them on the side table in your landing strip.
Waste basket – Keeping a waste basket in your entryway will prevent trash like junk mail, scraps of paper, gum wrappers and other discards from coming any further into your home and making a mess.
Mirror – We don’t always have time to pamper ourselves before leaving the house. Having a mirror in your landing strip to take a quick look at yourself before leaving the house gives you a final chance to fix an unruly cowlick or wipe that smudge of jelly from breakfast off your cheek before going out in public.
Now that you know how to make a killer entryway, find a great new apartment to build it in! Check out the available apartments in the New Orleans metro area right now from 1st Lake!